Mary Ann
I am a lifelong learner. I love to take classes and learn new things. Many a school and businesses have lifelong learning in their mission statement and want their students or employees to embrace it as a goal. However, many people just do not like school or learning new things – no time, too much money, boring, and the like are the excuses. Let me share with you some educational outlets that you may find interesting, easy, inexpensive, and fun!
I get excited when I open my mailbox and find a Smithsonian catalog full of ZOOM classes to take. It is like attending a college lecture in my pajamas – I think a lot of college students do that anyway. There are inexpensive classes in many areas of interests taught by the experts in those fields. I took a class on dolphins with the author Susan Casey (Voices in the Ocean) conducting the class. I had read her book, and Ms. Casey made the subject come alive. You can ask questions, so the class is interactive. Casey also taught another class on Great White Sharks based on her book The Devil’s Teeth– it was fascinating class about a fascinating animal. I have also taken art, history, and other science lectures. Visit SmithsonianAssociattes.org. for more information.
The Great Courses is another catalog full of gems. You can download them or buy the DVDs. I have done several of the photography classes that National Geographic presents with their top photographers like Joel Santori instructing. These can be pricey, but they do run great sales with sets running as low as $35.00. You can also subscript to a program called The Great Courses Plus. All their classes are available for a fee – you can subscribe monthly, quarterly, and annually starting at $20.00 a month to $12.00 a month depending on the payment schedule you select. This gives you unlimited use of their entire collection. More info is provided at their website wwwthegreatcourses.com. You can also get classes thorough your cable company. Xfinity offers them for a subscription fee of $7.99 a month. It is a select collection of 200 or so classes, but it is a reasonable price for classes that you can watch on your own TV.
Another online subscription is MasterClass (masterclass.com). It is from $10.00 to $20.00 a month (you pay annually) for classes. There are 200 + choices across 11 categories with new classes added all the time. Imagine taking a photography class taught by Annie Leibovitz or a filmmaking class from Ken Burns. These are truly masters of their disciplines. I have not personally taken one of these classes, but I have friends who have, and they have enjoyed them.
Colleges and universities also offer online classes. Yale’s Happiness Class is one of the most famous – it is a free class! Many of the classes are free. Check these options at the various schools’ websites.
As you can see, there is unlimited opportunities available to you. You just need to check them out. Find you passion and seek out classes that can support your interests. There is also a bonus in taking the classes. It is great for your brain! It keeps it agile.
I just came across this term Cognitive Reserve. It is a theory that refers to the representations stored within the brain of the knowledge, experiences, and life events that accumulate during a person’s lifetime. In other words, it is everything you ever have leaned and is stored in the brain. Active brains help to prevent dementia. It is a good reason to keep learning!
Silver Sage Sisters 